MORE and more it seems the prc is activating pro communist agitators in Hong Kong to attack pro democracy protestors and encourage strife between Hong Kong's citizens. If this doesn't stop the protest the violence on the streets will get worse and Beijing will use the civil strife as justification to send in the pla. From +NPR .....
Updated at 12:55 p.m. ET
Hong Kong's main democracy groups called off planned talks with the territory's government after several hundred pro-Beijing demonstrators attacked activists who have staged a week of protests calling for greater freedom.
Occupy Central, one of the main groups organizing protests against
Beijing's effort to tightly control the selection of Hong Kong's
leader, tweeted today:
Occupy Central 和平佔中 @OCLPHK Follow
As we reported Thursday,
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung, speaking at a news conference
Thursday, said he would stay in the job but appointed his deputy, Chief
Secretary Carrie Lam, to meet with protesters to discuss "constitutional
development."
But hours later, as the South China Morning Post reports, "A group of mostly male anti-Occupy protestors appeared to be taking commands from a middle-aged Putonghua-speaking [Mandarin-speaking] woman wearing a face mask using a loud hailer at the junction of Argyle Street and Nathan Road [in Mong Kok district]. The thin line of police separating opposing sides was stretched to breaking point, and finally gave way shortly after 5pm. Soon after more police arrived as the tense stand-off continued."
Mong Kok, located on Kowloon Peninsula, is one of three main
protest areas, which also include the central Admiralty area and
Causeway Bay on Hong Kong island.
The Associated Press describes the counterprotesters as Hong Kong residents and pro-Beijing supporters.
NPR's Anthony Kuhn, reporting from Mong Kok, says there's a lot of anger and shouting and that police have established a human chain "to escort Occupy Central protesters to safety.
"It's been a very tense scene for the past several hours," he says.
Anthony spoke to several of the anti-Occupy protesters: "Most of these people tend to be businessmen. They say they want democracy in Hong Kong too, but they think the way the Occupy Central people are going about it is the wrong way."
It was not immediately clear whether the attack on the protesters was spontaneous or part of a coordinated effort to break up the demonstrations, but student activists issued a statement calling them "organized attacks" and threatened to call off the planned dialogue with authorities if the government did not immediately stop the assaults.
The New York Times notes:
Occupy Central protesters were angered that police did not stop the attack on their camp, some chanting "shame on you" at officers, the newspaper says.
In Admiralty, where some of the largest protests have taken place, Ian Mo, 28, tells the Post that he had been planning to join the demonstrations but changed his mind after seeing the violence.
"The atmosphere here in Admiralty has changed a lot. The people here were so peaceful over the past few nights," Mo said. "People feel angry because of tonight's violence and are standing up again."
Mo said he had walked past protests in Mong Kok and seen the violence there. "There were some police standing by in the crowd but they simply did nothing," he told the SCMP.
On Friday, Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang urged the Occupy Central protesters to consider the long-term interest of the territory. According to a government website:
Hong Kong's main democracy groups called off planned talks with the territory's government after several hundred pro-Beijing demonstrators attacked activists who have staged a week of protests calling for greater freedom.
We strongly condemn such atrocity! Stop violence against peaceful protesters at once!
Credits: AppleDaily
#occupyhk
Occupy Central 和平佔中 @OCLPHK Follow
But hours later, as the South China Morning Post reports, "A group of mostly male anti-Occupy protestors appeared to be taking commands from a middle-aged Putonghua-speaking [Mandarin-speaking] woman wearing a face mask using a loud hailer at the junction of Argyle Street and Nathan Road [in Mong Kok district]. The thin line of police separating opposing sides was stretched to breaking point, and finally gave way shortly after 5pm. Soon after more police arrived as the tense stand-off continued."
The Associated Press describes the counterprotesters as Hong Kong residents and pro-Beijing supporters.
NPR's Anthony Kuhn, reporting from Mong Kok, says there's a lot of anger and shouting and that police have established a human chain "to escort Occupy Central protesters to safety.
"It's been a very tense scene for the past several hours," he says.
Anthony spoke to several of the anti-Occupy protesters: "Most of these people tend to be businessmen. They say they want democracy in Hong Kong too, but they think the way the Occupy Central people are going about it is the wrong way."
It was not immediately clear whether the attack on the protesters was spontaneous or part of a coordinated effort to break up the demonstrations, but student activists issued a statement calling them "organized attacks" and threatened to call off the planned dialogue with authorities if the government did not immediately stop the assaults.
The New York Times notes:
The AP says: "The scuffles in Kowloon's crowded Mong Kok district were the most chaotic since police used tear gas and pepper spray on Sunday in an unsuccessful attempt to disperse protesters pressing for greater electoral reforms.""The Mong Kok area is notorious for organized gangs known as triads that extort payments from the many small businesses there, or indeed own the businesses, and some of the protesters suggested that the men were connected to them. Asked if he was a member of such a group, another man who joined in tearing down the tents there, Steve Lin, 48, responded: 'I'm not a triad. I'm a Hong Konger.' "
Elsewhere, in Causeway Bay, locals angered by the days of protests that brought the neighborhood to a halt confronted pro-democracy protesters. Three men were "shouting loudly, using vulgar language against protesters." Later, the SCMP says, "[an] organised group of about 30 men wearing masks broke through Hennesy Road and reached Jardine's Bazaar and began removing barricades there.""Police were hard-pressed to keep order as the two sides tussled in a tense standoff. The visibly older people trying to force the vastly outnumbered protesters out were yelling, shoving and at times trying to drag the younger protesters away."
Occupy Central protesters were angered that police did not stop the attack on their camp, some chanting "shame on you" at officers, the newspaper says.
In Admiralty, where some of the largest protests have taken place, Ian Mo, 28, tells the Post that he had been planning to join the demonstrations but changed his mind after seeing the violence.
"The atmosphere here in Admiralty has changed a lot. The people here were so peaceful over the past few nights," Mo said. "People feel angry because of tonight's violence and are standing up again."
Mo said he had walked past protests in Mong Kok and seen the violence there. "There were some police standing by in the crowd but they simply did nothing," he told the SCMP.
On Friday, Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang urged the Occupy Central protesters to consider the long-term interest of the territory. According to a government website:
"Speaking to the media today, Mr Tsang said everyone - protesters, Police officers and every citizen of Hong Kong - felt exhausted by the current events. Many in society feel deeply worried about the current situation.
"He said he was also worried that violence incidents might happen, especially after watching the conflicts in Mongkok."
Listen to the Story
3 min 58 sec
Activists in Hong Kong have spent a week protesting for
democracy. The situation is escalating, with police using tear gas.
NPR's Scott Simon speaks with correspondent Anthony Kuhn in Hong Kong.
Tensions are flaring in Hong Kong, where young activists have
been staging pro-democracy acts of civil disobedience for the past week.
As Scott reported earlier, what appeared to be a coordinated group of pro-Beijing protesters clashed with members of the Occupy Central movement. It's a story best told through images. We'll start with video from the South China Morning Post, and then we'll leave you with a series of images from the wires.
http://youtu.be/ujuWPZ7Vfw4
As Scott reported earlier, what appeared to be a coordinated group of pro-Beijing protesters clashed with members of the Occupy Central movement. It's a story best told through images. We'll start with video from the South China Morning Post, and then we'll leave you with a series of images from the wires.
Pro-democracy demonstrators look on as they protect a
barricade from opponents in an occupied area of Hong Kong on Friday.
Philippe Lopez /AFP/Getty Images
Policemen try to get a man to let go of a fence guarded by pro-democracy demonstrators.
Philippe Lopez /AFP/Getty Images
A group of men in masks rough up a man who tried to stop
them from removing barricades from a pro-democracy protest area in the
Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong on Friday.
Alex Ogle /AFP/Getty Images
A man is held back by police as he screams at pro-democracy
protesters to stop occupying an area of the Causeway Bay district.
Alex Ogle /AFP/Getty Images
Student protesters are overwhelmed with emotions as they
hold onto their tent while being threatened by residents and pro-Beijing
supporters in Kowloon's crowded Mong Kok district.
Wong Maye-E/AP
Angry locals confront pro-democracy student protesters,
demanding that they remove the barricades blocking local streets in
Causeway Bay.
Wally Santana/AP
A student protester is injured after being pulled off and hit by residents and pro-Beijing supporters.
Wong Maye-E/AP
Police are trying to control the crowds in the Mong Kok
neighborhood as residents of Kowloon who are pro-Beijing clash with
pro-democracy protesters, screaming at them to "get out."
Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
Police stand guard outside the government headquarters Friday in Hong Kong.
Thomas Campean/Getty Images
